Accident
by PieceOfShit96
Summary: Kind of an expansion on one of my chapters in my one-shot Otis series. Otis gets into a botched job with Cutter, and ends up coming home sick and injured. Nameless OC has to take care of him. She learns a little bit about Otis and Cutter's past, however.
1. Chapter 1

Otis had been away with Cutter for about a month. She had no idea what they were doing. Didn't want to know what they were doing. She didn't entirely trust Cutter, but she had to trust Otis's judgement, if only to avoid the backlash.

She was expecting them home today. It was the date Otis told her they would be back. She couldn't wait to see him; they hadn't been apart for this long since they had been together. She missed him so much...missed those arms around her and hid body against hers. Missed his presence in the home, his smile at her, the smile that only she could get out of him.

She heard the truck pull in. She planted herself in her seat, knowing that Cutter would only tease Otis if she went running out. Cutter came in, a hat in his hands. Otis's cowboy hat that she despised.

"Ahh...We got a problem."

"What? Where's Otis?"

"R.J. Go out and get your brother out of the truck..."

"Is he okay?"

"Uhh...I'm glad you're here...Uhm...We had a little problem..."

"What. KIND. of problem." She hissed through grit teeth.

"Uh...well...Do you want to know what we were doing, or...?"

"Not really. I just. want to know. What is wrong with him."

"He got shot. He insisted he was fine. Kept going. Uhm...He's got a few other cuts and stuff, but..."

"Where was he shot?!"

"His low back...He can walk and all that..."

"What the FUCK Cutter?! When was this?!"

"Ahhh...when did we leave?"

"CUTTER."

"The first week..."

"YOU LET HIM GO FOR THAT LONG?!"

"He's a stubborn bastard! You know that!"

She rushed out to help R.J. She could see Otis's white hair smashed against the windshield. He was slouched over, face obscured by the white locks. "B...Baby...?"

R.J. opened the door and Otis almost tumbled out. Rufus caught him, sitting him back upright. A balled up towel was in place under Otis's low back, covered in blood. Rufus slipped one hand under Otis's shoulders, and one under his legs. Otis's eyes flew open, stiffening.

"Relax, Otis. It's me. It's R.J."

"Baby..." She stroked his face, squeezing between Rufus's arm and the door. "I'm here. It's okay. You'll be okay."

"Mama...Hey..." He seemed to relax, and R.J. pulled him out of the car. Once they got him inside, R.J. carried him up to their room, and gently lay him down on the bed.

R.J. hurried off to get the supplies she would need. Grampa Hugo burst through the door, medical bag in hand. "You're gonna need help. That mother fucker's a mean bastard when he's not feelin' good." She drew back and looked at him, concerned. "You're not the only one who's a doctor, bitch! I used to practice medicine!"

Otis's breathing was entirely too quick and heavy for her liking. He was going into shock; he was in terrible pain, his wounds were infected and he was bleeding.

"Baby, baby I'm here...Relax. I'm here." She wasn't sure how coherent he was, but any measure of comfort was worth it, to her. She stroked his face, holding back tears.

"I'll take care of him till you get yourself together. I know you're scared." Hugo's expression had softened. He was a hard, brutal, ass of a man, but he had a soft spot for his family members, and anyone who cared as deeply for one of them as she did.

He worked on Otis, slicing his pants up the middle as well as his shirt. Otis squirmed, working on the brink of exhaustion. Otis had a large stab wound on his thigh and upper arm, and a gunshot wound on his back. "Can we give him anything for the pain...?"

"You really think that's a good idea till we get him stable?"

She sighed. "No...It's not...I just..."

"I know. That's why I'm doing the work right now. Hold him down, and hold him down good. He may be in bad shape, but he's a fighter." She braced herself, holding his arms as best she could while Hugo sat on Otis's calves. He began to clean out the wound, dumping alcohol into the gauge. She wasn't prepared for the retaliation as Otis wrenched free of her grip and shoved Hugo off of his legs. "Son of a bitch, hold that fucker!"

"Otis! Otis relax! It's me...and Hugo." She was prepared this time, as Hugo sat on his legs again and began stitching. Otis bucked unsuccessfully, as she held him with as much strength as she could.

Hugo moved on to his arm, doing the same. Otis bucked and carried on, trying to wrench free. "Bastard is gonna wear himself out before we do..."

"Otis...Baby, it's us...it's us." She kissed his head, pulling him close. He groaned.

"Sweetheart, he's not with us right now. Look." Hugo snapped his fingers in front of Otis's face. He didn't react. "He's a thousand miles away right now. He just knows pain and whatever is going on in his head." Hugo sighed. "Flip him over. " She worked with him to flip Otis so that he was lying on his stomach. the wound was oozing green liquid mixed with the crimson of the blood leaking from it. She straddled Otis's shoulders, digging her knees into his sides. Hugo began to dig for the bullet, and Otis roared to life. He tried to throw her off, bucking and kicking at Hugo, who was seated on Otis's legs once more. "I know it hurts you cocksucker! Stay still and it'll go faster!" Otis whimpered beneath her, and her heart broke. He was in so much pain, she knew he had to be. She rubbed his shoulders gently, trying to comfort him. Any small way to let him know she was there, she would try.

"Were his other wounds infected?"

"Ah, his leg was. Arm isn't. Gonna need a heavy antibiotic."

"Yeah...Does his breathing sound rough to you?"

"Uh, yeah...We'll have to see about that once he calms down a little." Hugo stitched the gunshot wound, generously packing the bandage with gauze. "I'm done. He's liable to have one last bought of fight in him. We need to get an I.V. in him, though."

She sighed. Otis hated needles. "I'll do it." She found a vein quickly and plunged the needle in, moving with him as he jerked away.

"He's gonna be okay. He's got you taking care of him now." Hugo smiled slightly.

"Thank you..." She hung fluids and 2 different kinds of antibiotics to drip into his I.V. and sat next to him. "Can you get me some pain meds?" She asked Hugo as she struggled to put an oxygen mask over Otis's mouth. He turned his head, still trying to struggle against her.

"Yeah. Here you go." Once they were hung on his I.V., she sat behind Otis, holding him as he gasped for air. "You're good for him, you know."

"Hm?"

"Be careful with him. He can be a real bitch when he's hurtin'." Hugo left.

She held him close to her, kissing his head and burying her face in his hair. "Don't you give up on me. Come on, baby. You can make it through."

He groaned in response. She hoped the pain medicine would act quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Once the pain medication hit his system, Otis was much calmer. His breathing had slowed to normal, though still raspy. She held him close, whispering to him how much she loved him and that everything would be okay.

After a few hours, he stirred, trying to sit up and lift his head. "Baby, baby don't move. I'm right here. It's me."

He moaned, trying to struggle against her.

"Relax. You're really sick, baby...Just relax. I know it hurts."

He mumbled under his oxygen mask. She pulled it away, beckoning him to say it again. "Get ...me off these fucking drugs..."

She sighed. He hated how he got on pain medication. He hated the lack of control it gave him. "No, baby. You need it. You really need it. Okay? I wouldn't lie to you...I know you hate them." He groaned in response. "I missed you, baby. I really, really missed you." She kissed his cheek.

"Missed...you too, Mama...Missed you...a lot..."

"Missed you more, I bet." She kissed his cheek again. She swore she felt his cheek raise slightly in a smile. "Baby, I gotta go eat somethin'. You gonna be okay till I get back?"

"Yeah..."

"Okay. Just go back to sleep. Before you know it I'll be back." She ventured down the stairs, hoping Otis would be okay just long enough for her to eat and get back up to him.

"Hey, uh..." Cutter approached her. "Did you know Otis can't swim?"

"Yeah...? He can just about enough to keep him afloat if he has to, but not well, or for very long. Why?"

"Oh...that was information to me..."

"What happened?"

"Ah...tryin' to get away from some people and I pushed him in a lake and dove in with him. Didn't know the dumb fucker couldn't swim."

She paused, trying to hide the rage boiling in her blood. "Was this before or after he got shot?"

"...after."

"So you're telling me. You pushed him into a lake without knowing for sure if he could swim after he just got fucking shot?"

"Did I fuckin' stutter?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen, you bullfrog son of a bitch. He's been through enough in his life. You think I don't know what you did to him, too? You were just like his daddy. If he doesn't come through this, I'll have your fuckin' balls on a plate."

"What! How the hell did you know that?! Little white rattlesnake son of a bitch!"

"I know everything about him. Everything. It was when you two were having a little pissing contest. You can't be trusted, Cutter. I know that, but he's still figuring that out. We'll see after this."

She wasn't aware of Mother firefly standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "John...you didn't, did you? You didn't...You didn't hurt him like that..."

"Eve, goddammit..."

"No...not my baby boy..." Her face turned abruptly from sadness to rage. "You better have a good fuckin' explanation, you bozo fuckin' asshole."

She could only sit back and smirk. Karma was a bitch, eh, Captain Spaulding?

Eve turned back to her. "How's he doing? How is my Otis?" She smiled, giggling. "Well, I guess he's your Otis..."

She smiled softly back at her. "He's doin' alright. He woke up for a second then went back to sleep. Figured I'd let him rest and come down for some dinner."

"Why don't you make him some tea while you're down here? It always relaxes him when he's...er...having a bad night, you know."

"Yeah...ah, He's running a pretty high fever, I don't know if that's the best idea."

"Oh...poor baby..."

She ate quickly and returned upstairs with the mug of tea. She decided it couldn't hurt, and might make him feel a little better.

He was awake when she walked back into the room. "Hey, Baby...You okay?"

"C...cold..."

"Ohhh, baby..." She wrapped his blanket tighter around him, pulling him into her arms once more. "You're runnin' a fever, Otis..." She offered him the tea, and he drank greedily. "Taste good to you?" He nodded. She let him settle once more, holding him close to her. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, falling asleep. She stroked his hair, hearing his breathing slow as he fell into a deep sleep. The pain medication was working- it was relaxing him enough that he could sleep comfortably. She hated drugging him like this. But it had to be done. She heard him moan softly, shuddering. He was still cold. She didn't however, want to raise his body temperature, increasing the hold the fever had on him. So she simply held him, hoping that the comfort of her being there would be enough.

She heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in. Just don't be loud. He just got back to sleep."

Cutter stepped into the room, sighing. "Listen, girl..." He glanced at Otis, and his face fell. "Ooh, shit..."

"Didn't you believe me when I told you he was bad?"

"I didn't want to." He sighed again. "Er...Listen, it's...certainly not that I don't regret what I did. I do. I was pissed and I lashed out in the worst kind of way that I possibly could against him. I got what I wanted, but I know I hurt him...real fuckin' bad. He doesn't trust me. He's made that very clear after that...But...That was the second time."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Hey, we were both drunk. He was drunker'n I was and I hadn't had pussy in a long, long time."

"You think. That that is an excuse. To..." She shook her head, biting her lip. Tears were brimming on her eyes, she was so furious. Otis moaned beneath her. "Shhh..." She rubbed circles in his shoulders, and he quieted down again. "...He told me it was only the one time. Why would he lie to me, Cutter?"

"Aaahhhh..."

"Don't fuck with me, you miserable mother fucker."

"Well, there's two possibilities. One, he doesn't remember because he's pushed it down so much...Or two, I knew if Eve ever found out, she'd have my dick. So...I may or may not have threatened him that if he told anyone, I'd do the same thing his Daddy did to him and chain him against his bed and make him my little bitch..."

She felt rage boil in her chest. "Cutter...he trusted you."

"I said I really regret it. I've apologized and apologized to that little fucker."

"DO YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH!?" She screamed. Otis jumped against her, crying out in agony at the sudden jolt of movement, grinding his head back against her. "Shhh, baby. I'm sorry. Sorry. You're alright. Easy..." He glanced around the room, looking for possible threats. "It's okay. Cutter and I were just talking..."

She saw his eyes trace Cutter's outline, narrowing in disgust. He started to speak into his oxygen mask, and she removed it for him. "Fuck're you doing here...?"

"Came to check on you, kid."

"Fuck you...You don't care...What do you want..."

"Me n' your girl's just havin' a little talk." Spaulding smirked. Otis glared at him suspiciously, and his smirk faded. "She knows, Whitey."

Horror flashed across Otis's face, but he quickly squelched it. "Knows what..."

He sighed. "Knows how many times my dick's really been up your ass, moron. Eve knows because she spilled it downstairs when she was yellin' at me for not takin' better care of you."

She replaced the oxygen mask on Otis's face. "You promised to bring him back in one piece. Is there anyone you haven't let down in this world?"

"Honestly? Probably not. Listen, Whitey-"

"Stop FUCKING calling him that. He hates that." She growled. "Every time you say that he flinches."

Spaulding gulped. It wasn't often one of the family members was this aggressive with him, let alone a protective lover. "Listen, Otis..." He glanced at the girl, waiting for a reaction. "I...I can't take back what I did. But I do regret it. Wholeheartedly. I'm sorry I hurt you like that. Probably scared the shit outta you. I'm sorry, man. I want you to trust me again. You're a member of my family, so...I...I'll just give you time, yeah?"

Otis nodded. She could tell he was still exhausted and needed rest. "Now get the fuck out. He's sick and doesn't need any more of your bullshit." She growled.

Cutter laughed, finally gaining his courage back enough to defy her. "Don't you think for a second he'll let you coddle him like that forever. He ain't ever had anyone take care of him. He's a son of a bitch when he starts feelin' better." He left, cackling down the hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of soft moaning woke her. Otis was struggling, trying to break the hold of the blanket wrapped around him.

"Otis...Otis it's okay." She cooed, stroking his hair. "It's okay. I'm right here."

He moaned. "No...nooo...don't daddy...don't..."

Her heart broke for him.

"Don't burn me...no...no!" He struggled against her. "NO! That hurts!" He broke into a coughing fit, gasping for air. "D...don't c...choke...me...please..."

"Sweetheart no...no, come on wake up..." She held him tightly, trying to restrain his movements. "Shhh...Easy...Easy, baby..."

"Nn...Mommy...no...don...don't..." He flailed wildly, knocking her away from him. He seemed to calm more once she wasn't restraining him. He couldn't feel anyone against him. She started back down the stairs to make him more tea for once he came to himself. She almost knocked down Mama Firefly as she left their room.

"He havin' a nightmare?"

She sighed. "Yeah...The drugs'll do that. Make them more real, y'know? And keep him in them longer..."

"Try and bring his fever down. That should help, too..."

She smiled. "Yeah. I'm going to make him tea. He seemed to enjoy it earlier."

Mama Firefly nodded. "Hot beverages always comfort a wayward soul."

She made it down the stairs, operating their dilapidated microwave warily.

"How's ol' Whitey doin'...?" Cutter startled her from the shadows.

"Probably got fuckin' pneumonia because you pushed him in that fuckin' lake, you asshole. How the fuck did he get hurt, anyway."

Cutter sighed. "Listen. We got hired to take care of somebody. We did the job, but there were a few complications. He was tryin' to get a hold of him and the hostage got Otis's knife and cut him up. He got my gun and shot at him. Otis is a quick little fucker, he got away just about the right time to not get his block blown off."

"Jesus Christ..."

"Ah...I don't know if it'll make you feel any better or worse, but he got somethin' for you when we were out there."

"What...?" Otis was extremely tight with his money. She couldn't imagine him actually purchasing anything for her.

"Yeah...It's in his jacket pocket. Here." The older man dug in Otis's jacket and produced a small jewelry box. "Don't know if he'd want me to give it to you or not. But here ya go."

She opened it to find a small locket One side of it had her name engraved on it, and the other had his. The locket had a picture of the two of them, beaming at each other. Tears welled up in her eyes. He would have had to have paid for the item for them to have engraved their names. It would have taken the jeweler a while to do it, too.

"He's always talkin' about you. 'Much of a pain in the ass as he is, I'm glad he has you. You bring life back into that little ghost up there."

The microwave beeped, alerting her that the tea was ready. "I won't tell him you let me see that. Maybe he won't cut your nipples off and feed them to you."

Otis was still flailing when she walked back in the room. Taking a cool washcloth, she wiped his brow, hoping to make him come around. "I'm here, Otie. I'm here. Your babygirl is here..."

He whimpered, trying to pull away from her touches. "Stop...Stop...please..."

"It's me, Otis...It's just me..." She continued to try and cool him down, bring down his fever enough for him to come to. His eyes were open, he was just hallucinating.

Finally, he looked at her, the thousand mile stare gone from his eyes. He was lucid. "...Mama...?"

"Hey, Otis." She kissed him lightly, expecting to pull away right away. He took her lip between his teeth, sucking on the smooth flesh. "Mmm...Baby..."

"Please...I missed you. Come on..."

"You're so weak, Otis..."

"Please...I'll let you on top this time."

"Okay, okay..." She undressed, slowly, letting him enjoy it. His eyes wandered over her body, taking it in for the first time in a month. She straddled him, being as careful as she could of his injuries. "Let me know if I hurt you, okay?"

"Yeah..." he was too distracted, letting his hands roam on her body. She kissed him, moving from his mouth to his jaw, kissing back to his ear and nibbling on his earlobe. She felt his hand on her lower back, nails digging into her skin. She kissed his neck, moving out to kiss his shoulder and down his chest. She knew he loved it when she did this, kissing his whole body and appreciating every inch of him.

She was trying so hard not to hurt him, she couldn't even really enjoy the sex. Of course it was good. It was always good with him, but she was so concerned, she couldn't lose herself like she normally could.

She watched his face carefully, knowing that in some twisted way, he liked pain and wouldn't stop her if he started to hurt. A few times he winced and moaned, but the moans of pain were indistinguishable from the moans of pleasure. He moaned her name, fisting her hair and caressing her body. So long as he was enjoying it, she reasoned. She would get hers eventually.

He was exhausted afterward, lying there, staring up at her, entranced. "God, mama..."

She kissed him, long and sultry. "Missed you, baby." she shrugged back into her clothes and crawled back under him, pulling him against her once more. She began to knead his shoulders, eliciting a gasp and making him stiffen at first, gradually relaxing into her touch.

"Nnn...Mama, do me a favor and stop that pain medicine..."

"Otis, no. I know you hate it but I promise you need them."

"They make me feel all..."

"I know...but you need them. Trust me."

"What's all the other shit?"

"Antibiotics and fluids."

"Nn..." He was beginning to doze off.

"I love you, baby."


	4. Chapter 4

When she woke up the next day, Otis was still sound asleep beside her.

She tried to imagine what his life would be like if he hadn't been abused so badly as a child. His appearance was strange, but he was skilled at whatever he did. He would have easily found a job doing something.

She tried to picture him as a child. She was sure he had to have been adorable. He had a handsome face as a man, and she knew he probably looked somewhat similar. Did his eyes change with age? She imagined they would have. They had probably darkened as he got older. That shock of white hair...she remembered he had told her his mother always kept his head shaved so that when they did let him out, he at least looked relatively normal. That was why he wore it long now. She pictured him as a small child, all limbs and skinny, lithe and athletic. If he had actually been fed, she reasoned.

He had told her every detail of what had happened to him. She wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about him. Somehow, each time he told her something horrible that had happened to him, it only made her love him more. She had no idea how he survived what he had been through, and still was able to smile.

"Mm...Mama...?"

"I'm right here, baby." She nuzzled his hair and kissed his head. "You thirsty?" He nodded. She held the glass of water R.J. had placed there for them in the night and let him drink from it. She could tell he wasn't entirely 'with it' today. His gaze was far away, and he was limp in her arms. "How are you feeling, Otis?" No response. "Otis?"

"Huh? Oh...I'm...What?"

"Nothin, baby." She stroked his face. "It's okay. Just go back to sleep"

"Stop those drugs..."

"Otis...I can't. You'll be in too much pain. You know that."

"Don't care...Makin' me ...feel weird..."

"I know, baby...just go back to sleep..." She knew he hated how helpless the pain medication made him feel. But she wasn't willing to subject his body to that kind of shock in the shape he was in.

She noticed his breathing was getting worse. It was often the case with pneumonia that the patient would get worse before they got better. She knew that, she had seen it in numerous patients in the hospital. But this was different. This was her Otis. "Can't focus...on nothin'..."

"Just close your eyes. It's okay, sweet heart. I'm right here." She stroked his face. "Your baby girl is right here. Just relax."

"Okay..." Otis slept for most of the day, waking up intermittently to check if she was still there and to drink some water.

Nightfall was always worrisome for her. Her patients always seemed to decline during the dark hours, and she was worried for Otis.

He began hallucinating, flailing at invisible foes and whimpering for his parents to stop hurting him. She felt his body temperature steadily rise. Nothing was bringing his fever down. She quickly disconnected his I.V. from the leads and carried him to the shower. He moaned in protest at the movement, but didn't open his eyes.

He was taller than her, and had a few pounds on her, but she eventually pulled him into the shower with her. Arm around his waist to steady him, she turned the cold water on, letting it hit the back of his neck. He didn't react initially, not even flinching at the shock of the water.

"Come on, babe...Come on..." She slapped his face lightly, trying to bring him around. Finally, he slowly opened his eyes. "There you are...There you are...Thank god..."

"If you wanted shower sex...should've just told me..." He quipped. She could only laugh.

"Glad you're comin' around, babe. You scared me..."

"Boo." He leaned up and kissed her, immediately exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Forgetting his condition for a moment, she slammed him against the shower wall, kissing him passionately. It took her several moments to realize his pained whimpering and cringing. He was writhing against the shower wall, trying to get away from her. She had her hand directly over the bullet wound on his back and had slammed him rather aggressively against the tile, forgetting his aching body.

"Baby! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry..."

He chuckled. "Why did you stop?"

"Otis, you're not well enough for me to keep doing this..."

"Nn...I'll go along with that, for once..." He leaned heavily on her. "Why's the water so cold...?"

"Your fever got so high...I needed to cool your core temperature down..." She trailed off as he leaned in closely, waiting for her to finish her statement before he kissed her, slowly, sensually. Her mind blurred, as it always did when he kissed her like that. He broke away for a moment, making her whimper in protest.

"Either turn the water off or make it hotter, I don't care, but I'm freezing to death."

She leaned behind her and turned the water warm, putting her body in front of his so that the water would hit her instead. She didn't want his fever to come back up. He kissed her again, stroking down her back. She rested her hand on the back of his neck, lightly stroking the skin with her thumb.

"Hey..." He forced her to look at him, taking her face in his hands and tipping her head back to look him in the eye. "I'm...not good at this...sort of thing...but...I..." He sighed. "I love you...Thank you...for all you do for me..." She could hear the strain in his voice as he said it, almost like he was afraid or unsure.

"Otis...I love you too, Baby..." She kissed him. "I know how hard that must have been for you...You're welcome, Baby. I love you too. I love you so much." She was thrilled to have heard the words from him. He showed her in many ways, but she never really expected to hear him say it. That's just the way he was. "Let's get you back into bed, yeah?" He nodded. He tried to walk himself, but he was still too weak. He had to lean on her, and he hated it. Hated every second of having to rely on someone else.

Once she got him settled back in bed, he grabbed her arm. "Do me favor, Mama? Go downstairs and get my jacket..."

She tried her best to hide her smirk. She hoped he didn't pick up on it. He was so damn good at that. "Why?"

"Somethin' in it I need." He was still too sick to really take notice. She went downstairs and retrieved his jacket, coming back up hurriedly. He dug in the pocket, taking out the little black box Cutter had shown her. "We been together a year, huh..."

She smiled. "Yeah, we have."

"Well...Figured I'd do somethin' for you." He handed her the box. She immediately opened it, her hands shaking. Even though she knew what it was, she was still overwhelmed.

"Otis..." She fingered the locket, realizing that she recognized the handwriting the engraving was in. "Did...did you write this on here?"

"Mm-hm."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Baby...I...I don't know what to say...Thank you...I love it...I love it so much..." She opened it to see their pictures. "Did you put these in here?"

"Mm-hm." He was fighting to keep his eyes open. He wanted to see her reaction.

She kissed him, stroking his face. "Thank you so much baby. Thank you..." She put it on, beaming. She realized he had probably stolen the jewelry and engraved it himself, but it didn't matter. The fact that he had put the thought into it was more than enough. She chuckled. "You're sleepy, baby. Go ahead and rest. I won't leave." She kissed his cheek. "I'll never leave you..."


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't long after Otis had fallen asleep that she heard him whimpering.

"No..."

She sighed, stroking his hair, willing him to calm down. She hated to see him like this. It broke her heart.

"I trusted you..."

"Baby...?"

"Stop...No!" He kicked his feet. "Stop! Cutter!"

Her eyes narrowed. That fucking bastard. Probably just bringing up the incidents was enough to trigger the nightmare for Otis.

"S...stop...y...yelling at me..." He shook, struggling. "No...Stop..."

"Shhh, baby...It's me...It's your baby girl. It's just me..." She wrapped her arms firmly around his middle, trapping his arms against his sides.

"Nng!" He flailed, twisting himself against her.

"Otis...Otis relax..."

"C...Cutter...let me go...s...stop...Don't...don't do that..."

Tears rolled down her face. She couldn't imagine the fear he had had. The first person he trusted after everything that had happened, and he had abused him, too. That was why it had taken him so long to open up to her. "Sweetie, it's me...It's me..." She stroked his face, kissing his temple.

He gasped and his eyes flew open, thrashing against her. "Shit...sorry...sorry..." He muttered, leaning against her again.

"It's okay baby..."

"Get me off those fucking drugs..." He fussed with his I.V., almost pulling the entire lead out.

"Hey, hey, hey. Stop it. Okay. I'll stop them..." The dream about Cutter had been enough to convince her. She could deal with the dreams of his parents, but having dreams about someone he still had to face? She couldn't justify putting him through that. The memories were enough.

She disconnected the pain medication, re-taping his I.V., since he had almost pulled it out. "What else're you still pumpin' in me...?"

"Two antibiotics and some fluids. You've got a nasty infection that's kicking the shit out of your body."

"Oh..." He seemed so forlorn and broken. She knew he had to be so ashamed of what happened with he and Cutter. He had probably never intended for her to know about the first incident. It was too intimate. She figured he was embarrassed that she knew.

"Hey, we've been together a whole year, baby." She said, leaning down to kiss him.

"Mm? Yeah, I know. That's why I got you that locket..."

She carefully stood, prying herself away from him, and rustled through her things. She found their- her, really- photo album of all the polaroids they had taken together and settled underneath him again.

"Nn...you stuck your knee right in my back..."

"Ohh, I'm sorry baby..."

"S'okay..." She knew he was trying to grapple with the nightmare he had just had. She had to try and distract him and cheer him up before he spiralled into a depression. She laid the photo album on his chest. "What's that?"

"It's us." She kissed his cheek. "It's all us." She opened the album, flipping through the pages. "Ohh, that was on your birthday!" She pointed to a picture of them at the lake.

"Yeah..." He cleared his throat. "Best birthday I've ever had...You made it so nice..."

She kissed his cheek again. "I love you. Oh! Our first Christmas together..."

"Ugh. You wouldn't let me alone with that damn Santa hat."

"I know. But it was cute!"She felt him chuckle. "Ohh, there's another one. Mama Firefly had that mistletoe." The picture was of them kissing under the mistletoe as it hung above a doorway.

"Look how beautiful you look..."

"You can't even see our faces."

"I know. I don't have to."

"Aww, baby..." She squeezed him, a makeshift hug. "You're such a sweet heart..."

"Mm...sorry we can't do anything special for one year..."

"What? You got me that locket."

"Yeah, but I wanted to do something real nice for you. You're always doin' real nice things for me."

"Baby, it's fine. If you really want to, you can do it when you're better. But right now, I'm worried about you recovering.

"Mm..." She grabbed his chin and pulled his face toward hers, pressing kisses all over him. She heard him laugh, trying to pull away. "Stop..."

"No. You are my handsome wonderful boyfriend and I will kiss you as much as I want!" She pressed her lips against his, smiling against him.

They continued to thumb through the photo album, and he seemed to cheer up some.

"Who's that dumb lookin' mother fucker?" He pointed at himself in a picture.

"You stop that! That's my baby you're talkin' about!" She leaned down to kiss him again, and felt his hand on her face. Her heart stopped. Even after a year, his touches did things to her head.

"Mm...That's sweet."

"What were you thinkin' of doing for our one year?"

He shrugged. "Takin' you to a beach or somethin'. Hadn't decided yet."

"You hate the beach."

"I know. But you don't."

"Well, that would be special for me. What about you?"

He smirked. "I'm sure you could figure something out."

"Otis... I missed you so much..." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her and kissed his head.

"Urk...You're chokin' me."

"Sorry. I just...You're my baby...I missed you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I missed you a lot, too, mama. Ain't the same without you around." He paused. "I love you."

"I love you too, Otis. So, so much."

"I know... You sure do a lot for me. Takin' good care of me and all that."

"I'm a doctor. Of course I'm taking care of my Otis."

She knew he wouldn't feel well without the pain medicine, but he was handling it pretty well. He just really didn't want her to move.

"Please don't leave..." He begged. When he was in pain, all he wanted was her.

"I'm not, sweetie. Just relax..." She stroked his hair. He groaned, trying to force himself to relax. She was right, the pain was awful without the medicine, but he couldn't take the hallucinations anymore, or how light headed it made him. "You're alright. I'm right here."

He took one of her hands in his and held it tight. She knew the pain was awful. But he would just keep begging to be taken off the pain drugs until she gave in. She thought it better just to satisfy him.

It was a rough night of tossing and turning. Neither of them slept well. She knew it would be a long road to recovery for him...


	6. Chapter 6

"Baby...Why don't you let me give you something...anything."

With all the pain he was in, she was surprised he was even able to focus on what she was saying. "No...No more..." The pain was so bad he was shaking, sweat pouring from him, and he still wouldn't let her give him anything.

"Okay...okay..." She turned to leave to get fresh bandages; with him sweating like he was, they would need changed. She felt him grab her arm.

"No. No, god no don't go. Please don't go."

"I'll be right back, Otis. I'm just getting some things for you."

"Okay..." Hesitantly, he released his grip on her. She hurriedly got her supplies and came back to him. He seemed relieved as soon as she walked through the door. She changed his bandages, wiping them with alcohol to help the infection move along. That was why he was in so much pain: the infection had made his wounds red and angry, inflaming them to the point of agony.

When she was done, she gingerly kissed his forehead, then his temple, then his cheek. She felt his arm wrap around her, holding her there as he trembled. He was absolutely miserable, she knew. But he was stubborn. He didn't wan't any of that damn medication.

He finally settled enough to go to sleep, still clinging to her. That was one thing, she thought. The pain would exhaust him and keep him asleep for most of the day, which is really what he needed.

Otis grit his teeth in his sleep, writhing against her. She got out from underneath him, hoping if she let him lay flat his back wouldn't hurt as much.

His eyes flew open, crying out in agony. Once he realized she was leaving, he grabbed her. "Wh...where are you going?"

"Shhh...Relax. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be right here."

He groaned and settled again. His breathing was rapid with agony, and it made her heart ache, but she understood. He would much rather go through the pain than the hallucinations.

"I love you..." He managed.

"I love you too, baby..." She stroked his hair, now slick with sweat. "I wish I had access to anything I wanted. There's pain medications that won't make you loopy like that, they're just not easy to get."

"It's okay..." He muttered, seeming to settle down once more.

"Just rest, baby...I'll be here. Don't you worry."

"Okay, mama..." He drifted to sleep again, clenching her hand.

Another knock at the door. "Come in, quietly."

"How's he doin'...?" One look at the albino in the bed, and Cutter knew the answer. "Oh, jesus..."

"Yeah. He's not feelin' too good." She glared at him. "Had to take him off the pain meds because he was hallucinating. Dreaming about what you did to him. I couldn't put him through that and he begged me to take them away."

"Is there anything I can do?..." He asked hesitantly.

"No, you fat bastard. Stay the fuck away from him."

Otis moaned, opening his eyes.

"Hey, kid."

"Dammit, he just got to sleep. Look what you did."

Cutter approached Otis's bed. She stiffened in defense, but she didn't need to.

"Don't touch me." He snarled.

"Whoa, hey now-"

"I didn't want her to know. I didn't want anyone to know. Not about that time. that was...that was too...I..." Between the pain he felt and the lack of words, he couldn't think of what to say. He was so, so ashamed of that time. It was utterly humiliating. Being hog tied on the floor in front of the clown, who was too drunk to realize what he was doing was so wrong. It was absolutely, utterly mortifying to him.

"What can I do to make you forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" He lurched up, screaming in agony at the sudden movement.

"Baby, no...calm down...calm down..." She turned to Cutter. "Get OUT of here. He doesn't want to see you!"

"You've betrayed me time and time again, and you want me to forgive you? I fucking trusted you, and every time I got burned. I'll never, ever make that mistake again."

"Alright kid. Remember who took in your sorry white little ass." Cutter left, slamming the door, making Otis flinch.

"Baby..."

Otis seemed furious, clenching his fists and almost outright growling at the door as Cutter left.

"God...I'm so fucking stupid..."

"No you're not..."

"I just...I wanted so badly to trust him...He's the one who took me in...the first one I trusted after..." He trailed off. She could fill in the blanks. The first one he trusted after he escaped his parents. "He took me into his family. They nursed me back to health from the brink of death after he found me in my apartment, almost dead. I...I wanted so badly to trust him...Every time...I just wanted my judgement to be right for once...It just...fucking pisses me off. Any other person, you burn me once I'm done. But I just kept going back to the coals with him. So fucking stupid..."

"No, baby...not stupid...You were hurt so much you just wanted something to not hurt...and if Cutter was the first one, I get that. I really do." She kissed his cheek.

"Mm...You sure get like a protective mama bear, you know that?"

"Yes...I know you can fend for yourself. But no one hurts my baby and gets away with it."

"I love you, mama bear." He smirked.

"I love you, little white rattlesnake.

"Ugh. Don't call me that. I hate that."

"Sorry, baby."

He shrugged. "S'fine."

That night, she lay beside him on the floor so he could stretch out in the bed. He was sleeping soundly until the nightmares kicked up once more, screaming and writhing, thrashing at invisible foes and begging them to stop torturing him.

He screamed in agony at his jostled wounds, taking him out of the nightmare and back to reality. "Fuck..." He rolled over onto his side, fisting his hair and pulling, trying anything to distract him from the pain.

"Baby..." She reached out to touch him, noticing his sobbing. "Sweetheart..." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. He cried out in pain at the movement. "Let me give you something...please, babe...please..."

"No..."

"Otis, dammit. I know it's bad if it actually got you to shed a tear. I know it's awful."

"Just...come here..." He pat the bed in front of him, and she carefully climbed over him to settle on his other side. He pulled her into his arms, holding her closely and tightly. He eventually settled himself enough to fall asleep again, but his grip on her didn't waver.


	7. Chapter 7

Otis grappled with the pain for days until he healed enough that it wasn't as agonizing. He was getting stronger every day, and something pulled at her heart. He had actually let her take care of him. She was going to miss coddling him like this.

"Think you're ready to start to get up and around, babe?"

He nodded, taking a sip of the tea she had made him. "Laying around's making me stiff..." He gingerly sat up, her hand on his back to steady him.

"There you go...easy..." She helped him stand, steadying him as he tottered slightly. He only had boxers on, and she took the opportunity to take in as much as she could. Once he was upright, she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. "Hi, handsome."

"Mm...Hey, mama." He took a quick survey of the room. "Where's my clothes I had on...?"

"Uhm...I had to cut them off of you."

"Dammit. Those jeans were one of my good pairs."

"Yeah. 'good pairs'. Only 2 holes instead of 4 or 5."

He wasn't in the mood for their banter. His whole body throbbed. "Gonna get a shower..."

"Do you want help?"

"No." He hobbled to the bathroom, limping and cringing as each step jostled his back. "...I can't bend down to turn the water on."

She hurried to the bathroom, knowing even if he said he couldn't, he would try and end up falling all over himself. She turned the water on, letting it heat up. "You sure you don't need help?"

"Yeah. I'm good." He was so sore from lying around for so long, his body was protesting every movement. Let alone the injuries. The warm water felt so good to him as he stood under the spray. He sighed contentedly as some of the tension left his muscles.

He haphazardly dried himself off, and pulled on the boxers she had thrown in for him.

"Is this all I get?"

"Yeah. I almost didn't give you those. I need to put your bandages back on. But you look so sexy in boxers."

He snorted, hobbling back out and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Feel better?"

"A little...Hot water felt really good..."

"You're not used to being stationary for so long, huh?" She climbed behind him on the bed and started kneading his shoulders. He gasped in pain at first as the spasms in his muscles protested, but as she worked them away, he sighed contentedly.

"...what was the question...?"

She giggled. "You're sore because you've been still for so long. You're not used to that. You're constantly moving."

"Right, right...Yeah..." He moaned in pleasure as she worked out his kinks and pains. He loved it any time she touched him. Something about it just always felt so good to him. It didn't matter what it was. It just felt so good to be touched so lovingly. He felt her press light kisses along his shoulders, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I love you"

"I love you, too."

"I thought I was going to lose you..."

"Nah. I've been through much worse than that. And back then, I didn't have you takin' care of me. I knew I'd be fine with you takin' care of me."

"I like taking care of you...You never let me do it otherwise."

"Cuz I don't need taken care of otherwise."

"Yeah, but it would be nice if you let me sometime."

"Ah." He waved her off. She kissed his neck, biting the pale flesh. "Aaah.."

"Mm. Same word, two different meanings." She smirked. "Let me wrap you up, yeah?"

"Fine..." She packed his wounds with gauze and taped it down, taking care to be gentle.

"You're doing so much better, babe...I'm so happy you're getting better." She kissed him.

"Mm. You and me both, mama."

The next morning, she helped him up to walk up and down the hall. He cringed again with every step, but he made it.

The morning after that, he was able to make it down the stairs with her help. He hated feeling so helpless like this, but he knew he was lucky to even be standing at all.

At the end of the week, he still wasn't getting around to the best of his ability, but at least he was much more stable on his feet than he had been before.

"Baby. Don't do anything stupid just because you can get around."

"Stupid? Like what?"

"I don't want you going outside just yet. Just stay inside. And don't go up and down the stairs without someone helping you."

"Oh, come on."

"I mean it, Otis." She left for work. Her stern warning was enough to keep him in line. He only wandered around the bottom floor of the house. He didn't want to test her. After all, she was just as much of a bull as he was.

When she came home, she helped him up the stairs again, letting him sit on his bed.

"Baby...You were sick for a really long time..."

"Huh? Yeah, I know."

"Well...I got you this for our anniversary, but I didn't get the chance to give it to you."

"Mama, you didn't-"

"You did something for me. Don't you bitch about me doing something for you." She handed him a package, wrapped up in paper. "Go ahead. Open it."

He did, cautiously. People buying him things always made him extremely nervous. It put pressure on him he thought wasn't necessary.

It was a large bullet, engraved with their names on it and the date he had opened up to her fully, accepting her offer for them to be together.

"You made yourself so bulletproof. I was finally the one to pierce your heart."

He couldn't help the goofy smile spreading across his face. "Wow..." He looked up at her, then back down at the gift. "That's...that's really...really cool..."

"I thought you'd like it."

"I do...Wow..."

"Baby...I love you more than anything. Happy one year. The first year of the rest of my life." She kissed him, smiling against his lips. She felt him smile, too.

"Thank you..." He kissed her again, unsure how he got this lucky in his life.


	8. Chapter 8

When Otis had fully recovered, he was still unbelievably pissed at Cutter.

For good reason. He had given away one of Otis's secrets. It wasn't who he had told, it was the fact that he had told her. If anyone should have told her something so intimate, so mortifying, it should have been Otis. It should have been his decision.

Otis drove to the museum, gritting his teeth. He hadn't actually stepped foot in the building in years. He grimaced at the heavy smell of grease.

When Spaulding heard the click of boots on the floor in front of him, he didn't even look up. He was used to people perusing the museum, largely ignoring him until they needed something.

Otis rang the bell several times, earning a heavy glare from the clown before he realized who did it.

"Hey, happy boy. Where's your leash? She at work?"

Otis's fist smashed against Cutter's face with such force, it hurt Otis's hand. The clown staggered back, blood pouring from his nose.

"What the fuck?!" Cutter swung at Otis, narrowly missing as the younger man ducked back. Otis was thankful he had gained back his agility with his recovery. He certainly didn't want one of those big hands to come into contact with his face.

Otis grabbed the clown by the shirt and pinned him against the wall, slamming him into it.

"The fuck is this about?!"

"You fucking told her."

"What?"

"You told her. I never wanted anyone to know. Ever. Not even her."

"Jesus christ, kid, you're this pissed off about that?!"

Otis drew him back and slammed him again. "You've done nothing but fuck me over since I was out of your hair. As soon as Eve took me in, all you did was piss on me."

"I fuckin' took you in!"

"Because you wouldn't get laid if you let me die."

Cutter fell silent. He couldn't argue.

"That's what I thought. You never actually cared about me." Otis drew back his fist and punched Cutter again.

"If you kill me, you know that everyone will know what happened. There's only one reason you kill family members, Otis." Mischief gleaned in the older man's eyes.

Otis cocked his head, smiling. "Who said I was gonna kill you?"

Cutter knew he was fucked. Otis was sadistic to put it mildly, let alone when someone had hurt him like Cutter had.

Otis drew back, punching him again and again until the older man slumped to the floor.

When Cutter awoke, he was tied like he had tied Otis so many years ago, an apple shoved in his mouth. Otis had tied him to a pole, however. Like a pig on a spit roast.

" _How original."_ Cutter rolled his eyes.

Otis saw that he was awake, and delivered a solid kick to his abdomen.

"I never wanted her to know. She loves me. She actually, truly loves me. Do you know how hard that is to accept for me? Do you know how hard you _made it for me to accept?!_ " Otis growled. "The first person I trusted after everything. I thought _you_ loved me. Like a son." Otis scoffed. "Well, I guess that wasn't too far off. You ended up being just like my daddy."

Cutter narrowed his eyes. He had been far from the horrible monster that Otis's father had been. Otis kicked him again.

"Don't look at me like that. I know you think you weren't as bad. But believe me...the amount of pain you put me through was enough. I thought I could trust you. I thought if you knew everything that happened to me, you would be careful enough to know what would hurt me. But you used it AGAINST me!" Another kick.

Otis visibly shuddered, standing with his back toward Cutter. He hadn't intended for the memory to be replayed in his mind, but there it was.

 _He was drunk, but not drunk enough to not know what was happening. He was hog tied on the floor of Cutter's apartment after he and Eve had broken up. Cutter smashed his face into the floor. He begged him to stop, to let him go. Cutter had told him to shut up, that he was going to ruin the fantasy, and that with Otis's long hair, he could pretend he was fucking a woman._

Otis whimpered, fisting his hair with both hands, willing himself to stop thinking about it. Willing the feeling of helplessness to stop washing over him.

 _Cutter jerked Otis's jeans down to his knees, all the while Otis was struggling fiercely, begging for it all to stop. Tears blurred his vision. He must have been too loud, because Cutter shoved something in his mouth to shut him up. It lasted for so long. All he could do when Cutter was done was just lie there and shake. He couldn't stop himself. He couldn't stop sobbing. Cutter sliced the ropes, letting Otis free, but he just lie there on the cold, hard floor. Shaking._

"What're you gonna do, Whitey!?" Cutter had spit out the apple, and was glaring at Otis furiously.

Otis screamed with rage, attacking Cutter with unrivaled ferocity.

Once he calmed himself enough to focus, Otis realized that his hands were bleeding, knuckles bruised from when he had missed and hit the metal rod Cutter was tied to. He stuffed the apple in Cutter's mouth again, smirking viciously.

"Don't scream, little piggy." Otis cut Spaulding from the pole. To his dismay, he realized his wrists and ankles were still bound. He wasn't escaping. Otis grabbed something he couldn't see. Fuck, was that a baseball bat? And started pounding on him, indiscriminate blows reigning down on him. "You know. I think you hurt the most _because_ I thought I could trust you. And it made me so angry that again and again, I still wanted to trust you. And you still got me. You made me feel so fucking stupid. So. Fucking. Stupid. You...You reminded me how weak I was when I was a child...You...you brought that out in me as a grown man. I fucking HATE YOU FOR THAT!" Another blow. Solid, vengeful. "I vowed I would never let something like that ever happen to me again. EVER. And it came from the person I trusted most." He shuddered again. "God, I fucking hate you." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't do much else or it'll be obvious who did it." Otis grabbed Cutter again, shoving him against a wall. "If you tell anyone who did it. Or if you tell anyone else about my secret, I will rain down on you lie nothing you have ever seen before. I will make you my bitch. And you will fucking die that way. You got me?"

Cutter nodded, his own words echoed back at him.

When Otis finally made his way back to the farm, his girlfriend was waiting for him in the doorway.

"Otis, someone broke into Captain Spaulding's today and beat the shit out of him. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Otis shoved his hands in his pockets. "Nope."

He was terrible at lying. She wasn't sure if he was with everyone, but he could never lie to her. She sighed and shook her head, wrapping her arms around him.

"You mad at me?" He whispered, kissing her hair to hide what he was doing to the rest of the family, huddled around Cutter.

"No..."

"Okay. That's all I need."


	9. Chapter 9

Otis stood back and watched as they all fondled over Cutter, smirking.

"Hey, man. Sorry you got knocked around. What happened?" He tried his best to hide his face, coughing into his arm.

"Some dumbass broke in. No gun or nothin, but I didn't see him. He came at me like a rabid dog. Damn near died till I got him off me."

"Mm. Wonder Ravelli didn't see him."

"Yeah. Wonder." He scoffed. "Shit, that hurts, Baby!"

"Sorry, daddy..."

Baby fussed over him, taking care of the cuts and bruises that only Otis knew he had inflicted. Well, his girl knew.

She elbowed him in the ribs, making him flinch. "What the hell?"

"Maybe make it a little less obvious. You look like the cat that ate the canary."

"Mm...Sorry..."

"You're the one that's gonna get caught."

"Nahh..." He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her. "Are you mad at me?"

"I told you no, Otis. I'm just worried they'll put two and two together."

"What're you two talkin' about over there?" Baby asked.

"Huh? Talkin' about whether we should get more security for the museum. Cutter's gettin' up there in his years, can't be doin' this shit all the time." Otis replied.

"That's a good idea... What do you think, Daddy?"

"Ah, young buck over there doesn't know the youth I still have in me..." Cutter glanced warily at Otis.

"Just sayin'." Otis shrugged.

"Baby, let me do this." She sat down in front of the clown, taking over the medical care. Otis hadn't done too much damage, just enough to make sure Cutter felt it the next day. When she was done, she stood satisfied with her work, and followed Otis to their room. "Jesus christ, Otis what did you do to him? Did you just have a fuckin' party?"

He shrugged. "I didn't do nothin'." He smirked.

She laughed, sitting on the bed to watch him work. She noticed him jolt back and cry out, grabbing at his back.

"Back hurt?"

"Yeah..."

"That'll do that for a while until the nerves heal back the right way. You're damn lucky it wasn't worse, baby."

"I know."

"Seriously, what did you do to him?"

"You don't want to know, I don't think."

"I do, because I probably want to do worse to him for hurting you like that..."

Otis sighed and started describing the events of earlier that day. They heard footsteps on the stairs and stopped.

Captain Spaulding stood in their doorway, looking like he had been hit by a truck and then scraped back up. She didn't even see Otis move he was so quick, but she heard and saw his knife bury itself in the doorframe next to Spaulding's head.

"Ain't you had enough today, old man?"

"Jesus Christ, boy..."

Otis stood, slowly stalking toward the older man, getting close enough so that their boots touched. "Thought I told you my fuckin' name was Otis?"

Cutter took a step back, confirming Otis's dominance of the situation.

"You're fuckin' crazy. I took you in."

"You may have taken me in, but then you betrayed every ounce of trust you had earned. Besides, haven't you ever heard the old Indian lesson about the woman and the snake? Isn't that why you call me a little white rattle snake?"

"What?"

"A woman was walking along the road and saw a rattlesnake that was injured. She took in the snake and nursed it back to health, feeding it and caring for it, because all living things deserve respect. The snake promised never to bite her, even though the woman knew it's nature. She trusted the snake, as it protected her from predators after it was well. One day, when the snake was hungry, he bit her, poisoning her. The woman asked the snake how it could have done it. She had trusted it, nursed it back to health and cared for it. The snake replied, 'bitch, you knew I was a snake.'" Otis scoffed. "Now that I think about it, maybe that's more fitting for you."

"Be careful."

"Or what? I think I established what kind of power I have over you today, bozo. Think you'll ever get away with shit with me again?" Otis pulled the knife from the wood, holding it against Cutter's throat. "Try me, bitch."

"Jesus christ. You're worse than any of the rest of us. You're fuckin' nuts."

"Maybe. But at least I keep my promises." Otis turned, walking back to his work. "Get the fuck out of my sight."


End file.
